AUTHOR'S NOTE: Chapter 3 is finally here! Sorry for the long wait, it's time to buckle down and really get this story going. For those who are seeing this story for the first time, I wanna let you know this is a sequel, and I highly recommend you go to my author profile and read the finished Book 1, Brothers in Arms, first. Things will make a lot more sense, trust me. Plus, some pretty cool shit happens in that one. Also, if anyone's interested in contacting and hanging out with me directly, as well as other fans of Brothers in Arms and this new sequel, I invite you to join my new Discord server, Brothers in Arms (creative I know). Fun perk: Discord members get access to chapters early!

Finally, if you like this story, please Follow and Favorite! You will make this sleep-deprived author's day!

3

June 6th, 2025

Floor 70, Road to Garnet

The wagon creaked wearily as the old wooden wheels sloshed through the thick mud and puddles of filthy water covering the dirt road.

Keeping a grip on the reins, Jae shifted his weight in the driver's seat and, though he tried not to, couldn't help but glance carefully around.

The vast, enclosed fields to the right of the road were empty, save for the herds of pigs and goats that now roamed through the puddles. They ambled along carelessly, their fleeces and skins slowly accumulating mud streaks as they searched for grazing ground. Meanwhile, on Jae's left, where David too was looking, the edges of the forest loomed quietly. Trees swayed slowly with the light updraft of wind coming from the direction of the Farmhouse, and from within their green boughs could be heard the sound of birds and the occasional raging squirrel.

Nothing disturbed the peace. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But Jae couldn't bring himself to relax. He knew, somewhere out there, someone meant his family harm. Worse, they had come right up to the door of their secluded home.

The old horse-which Vivienne and Sara had already named Henry- slowed and let out an annoyed whinny, pulling Jae's attention back to the road. He flicked the reins, silently urging the beast to keep going, but it shook it's head in aggravation and drew up to a stop.

"Damn it all," Jae muttered irritably.

David sighed and stood up beside him to get a look. "Big mud hole. Seems Henry doesn't want to get his hooves wet."

"As if they weren't already." Jae dropped the reins and began to get out. "Old bastard has had mud up to his knees since the moment we hit the road."

"I'll get it," David said with a wave of his hand to urge Jae back. He jumped down off the wagon and into the muddy mess that was the road, then made his way over to the obnoxious animal.

"Of all the horses in Aincrad," the younger man joked as he began petting Henry's muzzle, "you just had to tame the one with an attitude."

Jae rubbed his temples and leaned back in his seat. "Seems perfectly in keeping with my usual luck."

"How many levels in Beast Taming did you get from him anyway?"

Jae snorted. "For him? I was lucky to even unlock the damned skill. Pretty sure I barely hit eight hundred EXP."

"Must've been tamed before, then." David selected something from his menu, and a second later, an apple materialized in his hand. Still stroking the horse's muzzle patiently, he brought it to Henry's mouth. It was gobbled up almost instantly.

"Maybe he belonged to one of Retarin's people," David said thoughtfully. "Why else would he have been in the woods so close to the Farmhouse?"

Jae shrugged. "Whoever he belonged to, seems they had the good sense to dump him off in the forest and get a better ride."

David glanced past the chewing horse and smirked up at him. "Oh come on, he's not that bad. Just a little cranky. In fact, he reminds me of someone else I know."

Rather than wait for Jae to reply, David stopped petting Henry and brought another apple up into his hand. Instead of giving it to the eager horse though, he held it aloft and slowly began to step back through the ankle deep puddle filling the road, caking his travel boots in mud. Henry neighed in annoyance, but reluctantly followed after his retreating snack. The wagon creaked as it started forward again, and in a few moments, Henry had managed to get through to where the muddy road resurfaced again. David gave him the apple with a smile and, after wiping his boots on the spokes of the wheels, climbed back up beside Jae.

With a flick of the reins, Henry the horse set forward again as though he had never stopped.

"Sorry," Jae said with an apologetic smile. "I shouldn't make the day worse just because I'm stressed."

David shook his head. "It's fine. I feel the same as you. I've been so alert and worried, my neck has been killing me since yesterday. Haven't been able to relax at all."

A message notification appeared in Jae's upper left vision. He stopped Henry immediately and tapped it open, his heart rate already beginning to increase as he imagined a panicked message from Vivienne telling him that a stranger had broken into the Farmhouse.

To his annoyance, he saw that it was from Israel. Again.

Going out to try and get a lead on some tracks again. Let you know if I find anything

After a quick confirmation reply, Jae closed the message screen and took up the reins again, urging the horse forward.

"Israel?" David asked.

Jae nodded and rubbed his temple with his free hand.

"Guessing by your reaction he hasn't found anything?"

"He's just going out to try tracking the guy again."

David leaned back on his side of the seat, quiet for a moment as he looked out over the wet and muddy fields.

"He must be a better tracker than I gave him credit for if he can actually get anything out of looking at mud."

Jae shook his head. "He just needs something to do. This morning he looked more frustrated than me."

It had been two days ago now since the note had been hammered into their door, and no further threats had followed. No players had been seen, or even NPCs for that matter, anywhere around the Farmhouse or surrounding woods. All seven of them had entered into a state of caution and potential conflict: they stayed together for the most part, didn't venture far from the Farmhouse alone, and even set up a two person sentry in the living room at night, taking turns every three hours.

They could only ignore the dwindling supply problem for so long though, and so, after two days of constant vigilance- and Jae spending hours attempting to tame the horse Israel and Sara brought back after one of their tracking runs- Jae and David had decided to set out on the much needed trip to Garnet for every day goods and supplies.

Jae had no doubts that, had the ground been clear and undisturbed, his brother would have picked up a trail within minutes that first night, even in the dark. With a bit of luck, they might have even caught the bastard before dawn.

As it was, it seemed Aincrad's weather was conspiring with whoever put the threatening note up on their door: not long after, it had begun to rain heavily. It kept up almost the entire next day, and, though Israel still went out and searched the fields and woods for hours amidst the downpour, Jae knew that any tracks there might have been were now long gone, washed away by the storm.

The group had talked hours away during the two day state of vigilance, constantly trying to figure out who might be responsible for putting up the note. The debates had given Jae headaches multiple times. They had quickly come to the conclusion that someone else had obviously returned to Aincrad, someone who knew where they lived and, clearly, had a personal grudge against them...and yet hadn't harmed their helpless bodies in the real word. Instead, this person had opted to lie in one of the high tech hospital beds beside them and strap on the new and improved NerveGear.

The thought of them all lying there...of Vivienne's unconscious body being stared at by one of the many killers of their past...Jae's hands clenched into white knuckled fists around the reins at the thought.

They had reasoned through the list of usual suspects: PoH, Xaxa, Kibaou, Lind, but had come up short on all counts. PoH, they knew, was in prison. Xaxa too, if the last news they had heard before returning to Aincrad about him being thwarted in another VRMMO by none other than Kirito was true.

Kibaou and Lind were possible- both Meifan and Avari were dead set on the culprit being one of them- but Jae didn't think so. Neither man had the courage- or stupidity- to take them on alone.

Besides all that, he didn't understand how this hostile player had found the hidden underground facility to begin with. Rinko and the other doctors certainly wouldn't have let someone in who Kayaba hadn't invited to return, and why would Kayaba extend that invite to someone who clearly wanted Jae and his family dead?

There were no answers anywhere. Only more and more disconcerting questions.

Jae and David were silent for the rest of the trip, with hands close to their weapons and eyes scanning their surroundings all the way to the edge of Garnet.

The small town looked the same as ever; a loose, rough circle of around a hundred wood and thatch houses concentrated around a dozen public buildings that lay on either side of the muddy road as it ran in.

The blacksmith's place was the first of these they rode past upon crossing the threshold into Garnet. The smith, an elderly, bearded man with a limp and a bad right shoulder, nonetheless hammered away at the raw iron on his forge with a stoicism that Jae had always found admirable.

They had no need for the smith today, but Jae still took the time to wave at the tough old NPC as he always did. To his surprise, instead of receiving a gruff, leathery smile and nod in return, he was met with nothing but a cold stare.

Jae slowly lowered his hand and returned his attention to guiding the horse through the muddy narrow street. Henry made it audibly clear he didn't approve of stepping in the water filled grooves made by dozens of other wheeled carts and wagons, but, fortunately, he didn't stop as he had on the road.

They moved on, driving past the ealderman's house- which was the only building made of stone- the logger's hut which smelled of sap and wet wood, and the leather tannery, which Jae and David could have caught a whiff of a mile away (and which Henry snorted in annoyance at several times before continuing). As they headed deeper into town, both Jae and David began to notice other people acting strangely. NPC townsfolk, men and women both, either glared or ignored them completely. The silent unease quickly became thick in the air, and Jae found himself shifting his weight uncomfortably the entire way.

"The people here are acting just like the folks in Granzam," David muttered under his breath as he glanced around.

Jae said nothing. Feeling the tension in his neck growing, he cracked it from to side and tried to keep his attention forward. After a few long moments, the townsfolk seemed to lose interest, for most began returning to what they had been doing before the wagon's arrival.

But Jae couldn't relax. However odd the people of Garnet were behaving, it wasn't anywhere near as important as the unknown player out there somewhere. There was a good chance that, since this person had known their whereabouts, he or she also knew about Garnet. As the only town located anywhere near the Farmhouse, it was probable that the culprit had been through here at some point or other. Maybe even stayed here.

When they finally reached the public goods shop in the center of town, Jae urged the horse to go left into it's muddy stableyard for travelers. A few spaces were full, with two horses and a fettered cart taking up the best spots, but there was still plenty of room to get in comfortably.

"Stay on guard," Jae warned quietly as he hitched up Henry to the horse board. "And keep an eye out for player cursors- of any color."

David nodded as he climbed out of the cart. "Need me to grab anything else while I'm by the coal makers?"

"Maybe a new pane from the glassblower if he's got any." Jae shrugged at his friend. "Might as well get to fixing that window in the attic if we can."

David nodded again and, after smoothly checking to see if his scimitar was loose in it's scabbard, started off out of the yard.

"Meet you in the shop when I'm done."

Once he was confident that Henry and the cart were secure, Jae trudged over to the front door of the shop and scraped his boots free of muck before stepping in. Though fastened low on his back, the top blade of Starfire hit the doorframe, cutting into the wood. Jae cursed quietly and bent down in order to step inside.

A small bell rang above the inside of the door, announcing his presence as the warmth of the central fireplace hit him. Almost immediately, a balding head popped up from behind the counter.

"Oh, greetings Master Jae!"

Jae nodded in surprise, relieved that at least the shopkeeper was acting like his usual self.

"Morning, Erwin. Just in for the usual supplies for the house."

Erwin nodded knowingly. "You must be near out of most things, considering how late you came round this month. I was beginning to worry the storm had kept you rained in, sir." He smiled kindly and gestured around at the aisles and shelves. "Need me to help with anything?"

Jae shook his head. "No thanks, I have a list."

Starting at the front of the shop, Jae quickly began collecting what they needed, from firewood and soap to salt blocks and flour. Upkeep on as big a place as the Farmhouse wasn't so bad, considering how well it had been remade thanks to the help of Retarin, Thinker, Heathcliffe, and so many other good friends. Upkeep for seven people, on the other hand, required quite a lot. These days, Jae had a hard time remembering how in Aincrad he had once managed to feed and home hundreds of HDA members.

I must be getting old, he thought with a smile.

After around ten minutes, the bell rang and David entered the shop to help him. Together they finished collecting the armfuls of badly needed everyday goods and brought the pile down on Erwin's counter. The shopkeeper moved quickly, tallying up the items on a piece of parchment while simultaneously wrapping each into a tight, perfectly secured package for the road.

"Any good panes of glass?" Jae asked David as they waited.

David shook his head in irritation. "Said they were out of material, even though I know I saw spare barrels of sand behind the place when I walked up."

"Oh," Erwin said as if taken from his thoughts, "I heard that Tregor and his sons were working on a big commission." He finished neatly packing some dried meat and set to work on the salt block. "Apparently the stained glass roof above the temple of Alara needs some work."

Jae nodded and shrugged to David. "Makes sense."

David didn't look convinced, but didn't fight him on it. "I guess so."

"That'll be one thousand three hundred and twelve Col, all told," Erwin said with a businesslike wring of his hands.

Jae opened his menu and withdrew the amount, plus a small bonus for Erwin's kindness. As soon as he closed the screen, a large bag of Col coins materialized in his hand. He handed it to the shopkeeper.

"Oh please sir," Erwin said in rapid protest, "You do this every time, and each time-"

"And each time you deserve it," Jae replied firmly. "Take it, Erwin."

The thin man shot him a guilty look and rubbed his bald head a few times before finally accepting. "Very well, but next time you come here, I'm discounting the firewood."

Jae smiled. "Fair enough." He glanced at David, who still looked annoyed, then turned back to the NPC as the three of them began gathering the packages. "Erwin, we noticed as we drove in that people were looking...well...a bit different. Uneasy, I guess. Is everything all right in Garnet?"

The man's smile evaporated and was quickly replaced with a saddened, apologetic expression.

"So you noticed, did you? Business is bad, sirs. People are downcast and angry. The rains have been coming in too heavy- not just the other day's mind, but for weeks now- and are harming this summer's crops. Bad time for it, too."

"Why's that?" David asked.

"Economy is suffering. All over the land, it seems. People have stopped buying and selling and visiting Garnet and other towns nearabouts. The inn here is damn near close to bankruptcy. Poor Medrona has been buckling down on her finances, but without patrons, she might have to close the tavern down."

Jae's eyes widened. He glanced over at David, who looked equally surprised.

Was it even possible? Had Kayaba really made a fully functioning world economy that could fluctuate and evolve? The mathematics that would have gone into such a thing were mind boggling to even consider.

Yet if it was true, it explained a great deal. Col prices had seemed higher since their return, and the NPCs certainly weren't looking too happy.

"Is he saying this is because of us?" David asked in a hushed voice so that only he could hear. "Because the players all left?"

Jae hesitated as he thought it over. "If Kayaba truly created a working economy for Aincrad, then it would seem so. Imagine millions of people, working people, people who buy and sell and own businesses, just disappearing from the USA- or any country- in the blink of an eye. The economy would suffer greatly for the ones still left, maybe even collapse for a short time."

"But there were never millions of us," David pointed out. "Only six thousand by the end."

"At most, there's probably only around ten to fifteen thousand NPCs in the world, so just scale down and the effect is similar. Plus, the NPCs weren't directly saving and circulating vast amounts of money like the rich guilds and banks were." Jae shook his head at the complexity of it all. "In the two years that we were here, we players changed the value of Col completely, as well as how it was spent and which cities and towns held the most wealth."

"And so when we all just disappeared…" David paused. "That explains why people were just as gloomy looking down in Granzam. I mean, the entire KoB lived there and promoted blacksmith and armorer businesses. They pretty much turned the whole city into a metalworking industry hub that is now completely unnecessary. Things must be a complete mess there now." He let out a low whistle. "Kayaba really thought this through, huh?"

Jae nodded. "Seems that way. Things probably happened in ways he didn't foresee, like Laughing Coffin, but still. The man's a damn genius."

"So how do we fix the economic crash? I'd rather make these NPCs happy again."

"We don't." Jae reached over to the counter and began piling more packages into his arms. "It'll be slow, but things will eventually sort themselves out. Money will start circulating properly again once the NPCs bounce back. Might take months, but it'll get better. Hopefully more players will start arriving soon to accelerate some regrowth...preferably ones who don't want to kill us."

They had to make a few trips to the cart before everything they had bought was safely tucked away. Just before they left, David pulled Erwin aside and asked to put in an order for a rare item- a red and gold rose shaped necklace with bonuses to Strength and Luck. On top of that, he also requested bundles of ribbons, red lace, and oil lights. He paid in advance, and even added some extra to ensure quick arrival and good quality.

Jae didn't say anything until they were driving the cart out of Garnet and back onto the muddy road.

"I know you wanted to make the the whole town into a festival for Avari's birthday," he said slowly, "but I think, under the present circumstances, it might be best if-"

"Don't worry Jae," David interrupted calmly. "I know. Bit too risky considering the current threat out there. It wouldn't have been my preference, but I'll just decorate the Farmhouse and hold the party there."

Jae smiled over at him. "We'll decorate the Farmhouse. Not about to let you do all that work alone."

David hesitated. "That's nice of you, but I-"

"Don't worry," Jae grinned. He nudged the younger man's shoulder knowingly. "I'm one hundred percent sure you'll still get laid at the end of the night. You better do an extra good job, by the way. She'll be expecting some work."

David smirked at him in amusement. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience. Does Vivienne expect bedroom magic on her birthdays?"

Jae cleared his throat and looked forward at the winding road. "As a matter of fact, she does. And not without reason. You might learn a thing or two from me."

For the first time in days, David belted out a laugh. It proved contagious, and soon Jae found himself chuckling as well.

For a moment at least, they had managed to relax.

They arrived back home before dinner and unpacked the supplies with Israel and Meifan's help. Israel had found nothing during his tracking attempt, and looked irritated, but he maintained a calm composure while unloading. When Sara emerged from tending to the flowers in the backyard with Avari, he even smiled.

When all seven of them were ready, they made and ate a simple meal- some meat stew, baked bread, and fresh milk on the side- and, as had been the case yesterday and the day before, didn't do much talking. Vivienne asked about the trip into town, but beyond that, there wasn't much to say. They worked together to clean the dishes, and after David and Avari volunteered for first nighttime watch, the rest of them retired to bed early.

"Everything alright?" Vivienne asked as the two of them undressed for bed.

"Fine as can be expected." Jae unequipped his leather backed jacket, pants, and mud dried boots, but left on his black pants. He turned to her. "Why?"

She gave him a sidelong glance as her own clothes came off save for a blue nightdress that, ordinarily, would have aroused him with its thin fabric and thigh high cutoff.

"You look like something has got you thinking. Something complicated. Am I correct?"

He smiled as he made his way to their small private bathroom. "As always."

"So tell me about it. I might be able to give you a solution to this dilemma."

"There's no solution to this one, I'm afraid." Jae turned on the old fashioned faucet and waited for the water to come. When it did, he cupped some of the ice cold liquid in his hands and splashed it onto his face and neck. "Just something we have to wait out."

When he turned back, she was already sitting in bed, braid undone, brushing her long, thick brown hair.

"A passive approach? That doesn't sound like you at all."

"It's about the world economy." He sat down beside her and leaned back against the headboard. "Sound interesting yet?"

"Not even remotely, but it'll help you to talk about it. Tell me."

Jae rubbed his tired eyes and broke down what he and David had learned from Erwin, along with his own thoughts on how important cities of the past, such as the Town of Beginnings, Granzam, and Castellan Keep might very well end up becoming scarcely populated and poverty stricken places in the future.

Vivienne listened with interest despite her feigned unappreciation of the topic, and quickly added her own suspicions. She countered his theory with the fact that, as time wore on, it was likely at least some semblance of the old player population might return, and if it did, many of the old places would be reinhabited. The world might not end up looking the same as it did before, she pointed out, but it would at least retain its legacy.

"I think you're smarter than me," Jae said with a tired smile as he put out the oil lamp lighting the room next to him.

"Naturally." She set the hairbrush down on her nightstand- right beside her old HDA Officer badge- and settled in under the covers beside him. "I'm a woman."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. "The perfect woman."

"I love you husband."

"And I love you, wife."

She brought her lips gently to his, then turned and faced away from him in order to snuggle closer together. She pulled his arms tighter around her, and Jae felt immediately at peace as he felt her warmth and smelled the scent of her hair.

He closed his eyes, and within moments, began to drift peacefully to sleep in spite of everything.

…

Jae's eyes flew open as he heard movement from the room above- Israel and Sara's room. Vivienne too seemed to come instantly awake, for she tensed suddenly in his arms.

They lay still in the dark, waiting. Rain from outside lashed the walls and roof, pattering loudly against the stained glass window above them.

Perhaps it had been nothing.

But then why so loud and sudden?

Jae was just able to hear a door squeaking open, and then a second later, someone running down the stairs and past their room.

They both sat up and simultaneously equipped their weapons in the dark. Starfire's familiar weight filled Jae's hands, and a small shine could be seen emanating from Vivienne's angelic sword, Dawnbringer, as they threw aside the covers and got to their feet.

Another run- louder this time- started up from above them, again down the stairs.

Jae and Vivienne silently moved to their door, but just before he turned the handle, it swung open of it's own accord with Sara on the other side. She was wearing a thin black nightdress, similar to her usual attire, and her long silver hair was messy and tangled. Her big blue eyes shined off the moonlight coming in from the small stained glass window. In her hands was a rather dangerous looking black potion.

"Israel said he heard something," she said quietly, urgently.

That was all they needed to hear.

Jae and Vivienne followed her out at once, and together the three of them ran through the hallway and out into the dimly lit living room where they quickly locked eyes with David, who was still on watch. The front door was open and dragging against the floor. Water from the rain was already gathering along the carpet.

David quickly closed the distance with them and held up a hand. In it was another yellow note, soggy from the rain.

"Israel came running and made straight for the door," he explained. "Avari went with him. This was on the porch, along with a hammer and a nail. Seems our culprit didn't have time to put it up before Israel came down."

Before Jae could reply, Meifan came running up from the hallway, unarmored but already holding his mace and shield at the ready.

"What's going on?" He asked sharply. "Where's Israel and Avari?"

As if on queue, the two appeared through the front door, both soaking wet. Israel was barefoot and shirtless, skeins of his long blonde hair clinging to his face and neck, all giving him a wild look as he strode in with a purpose. Avari's short black bangs were pushed up over her forehead, probably to keep the wet out of her eyes.

"I need some gear on if I'm going to track him," Israel muttered as he made for the hallway.

Jae raised a hand, stopping him before he could move past.

In an instant, Israel's fierce, cobalt blue eyes were on him.

"Even if this was a perfectly clear night, which it isn't," Jae explained calmly to his angry brother, "the player probably just teleported out, and the rain will wash out the tracks leading here, just as before."

Israel was quiet for a moment, but then reluctantly nodded. Once he was sure his brother was thinking clearly, Jae lifted the note up high for everyone to read.

Aincrad doesn't belong to you. You will all burn.

-M

In a flash, Vivienne seized Jae's arm. He turned and saw her pale as death as she looked at him with guilt and horror etched onto her beautiful face.

"I know who's here in Aincrad with us," she said shakily. "It's Midnight."